1. Scope of Invention
This invention relates generally to boat and ship anchors, and more particularly to an anchor having a release mechanism facilitating disengagement of the anchor from an underwater snag.
2. Prior Art
An anchor line attached to the free, distal end of an elongated shank of an anchor is normally all that is required to raise and lower an anchor from a boat under normal operating conditions. However, should the flukes of the anchor become fouled or snagged by a bottom obstruction, continued pulling of the anchor line from the boat will many times result in increasing the hold the anchor has on the obstruction. In such cases, the anchor is simply abandoned by cutting the anchor line.
It has become well known that anchors fouled on a bottom obstruction, however, can be released in many cases if the lifting force on the anchor line is temporarily transferred from the distal end of the shank to the crown of the anchor, the effect of which is to upset the anchor and thereby cause the flukes to be withdrawn from the engaging obstruction. The following prior art patented inventions are known to applicant which are generally directed to implementing the above anchor dislodgment technique:
U.S. Pat. No. 2,568,006 to Illsche PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,764,116 to Brewer PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,522 to Root PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,150,629 to Fields PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,841,255 to Mansfield PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,217 to Altman PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,575 to Brown PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,054 to Kobayashi PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,848,261 to Kobayashi PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,951,593 to Brown et al. PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,235 to Kobayashi
Regarding some of the above prior art references in more detail, the Brewer '116 patent discloses a retrieving means and boat anchor which are somewhat similar in principal to that of the present invention. In this patent disclosure, a unique link and latch arrangement are there shown wherein disengagement therebetween is accomplished when a lateral upward force is applied to the distal end of the shank from the anchor line when the boat is directly over the snagged anchor. Thereafter, once the release mechanism is overcome and separated from the shank, the anchor line will apply a generally vertical force to the crown of the anchor to effect anchor dislodgment.
In the '006 patent invented by Illsche, another closely related means for releasing a fouled anchor is there disclosed. This invention depends upon an adjustable level of friction retention at the distal end of the shank which must be overcome by laterally pulling thereon which the anchor line in a somewhat angular orientation to the shank of the anchor. After disengagement of the releasing mechanism, the anchor line then acts directly upon the crown of the anchor to effect disengagement.
Others of the above references likewise each include unique release mechanisms to accomplish the desired effect of applying anchor line lifting forces directly to the crown of the anchor and upward or forwardly fashion with respect to the snagged anchor. However, factors of complexity, cost and effective normal anchor use appear to be detractions from these prior art systems.
The present invention, primarily applicable to asymmetric anchors having the crown of the anchor offset in one direction from the axis of the shank and having a fluke which acts in ground engaging fashion only when the shank lies above the fluke, provides a unique and easily adjustable and reengageable release mechanism which, when pulled on by the anchor line in a direction substantially orthogonally to the longitudinal shank axis, will overcome the frictional retention force at the distal end of the shank to effect disengagement of the release mechanism so that further anchor line forces will be applied directly to the crown of the anchor to effect its dislodgment from the bottom snag or obstruction.
The present invention does not interfere with full normal use of the asymmetrical-type anchor when the release mechanism is properly engaged and tightened to a preselected frictional tightness of this releasable connection.